Unity, Justice, Freedom
by Tiriol
Summary: The Berlin Wall is about to be taken down and the two brothers who have been separated for decades will be able to be together again. The Cold War is over.


__**Axis Powers Hetalia: Unity, Justice, Freedom  
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_It is the year 1989. The place is Berlin. The Berlin Wall is coming down. The night is finally over for the two brothers. No more sorrow, no more loneliness._

Prussia – East Germany – stood in his brown-grey uniform in the cool breeze of November in front of a concrete wall, nervously watching the customs and guard points in front of him and the gate that stood behind them. He fiddled with his visor cap and looked over his shoulder at the masses of people who had gathered here, before the Berlin Wall. The world, or at least East Germany's world, was about to change: now one could freely cross through the Berlin Wall to west, to West Germany – to Prussia's brother, Germany.

That Wall had stood between them for decades. But the German brothers had been separated even longer, ever since the Third Reich had fallen and part of Germany – Prussia – had been taken by Russia's Soviet forces. The ideological Cold War had come between the brothers to keep them apart, driving them ever further away from each other and keeping their people separated. But now a change had come: East German leaders had decided, either out of mistake or out of some foresight, to allow free passage.

Slowly the gate that stood before Prussia opened. Prussia put his visor cap on and tried to look official. When the gate was fully open Prussia saw who stood on the other side of the gate: silent Germany, his arms crossed before his chest, staring with his cold, blue eyes straight at Prussia.

For a moment those two brothers looked at each other. What was Germany thinking? Prussia didn't know. Prussia's thoughts were filled with longing, with sorrow, with bitterness, with aggravation, with the separation of decades, with loneliness, with desire for comradeship and closeness – and Germany's face remained the same, as if it was made of stone.

Prussia straightened his back and walked self-assuredly towards Germany.

"Hey, West, you're here too at this hour", he laughed a bit. "Hey listen, you could have picked a better uniform. Just look at yourself! Trousers dark grey and jacket light grey? That's not how you do it! And hey, even your insignias are silly and where have you lost your stylish visor cap? Why do you have that silly beret?"

Germany didn't answer, he just stared at Prussia. The gaze of that tall, silent man started to make Prussia feel uncomfortable.

"Your belt is all strange, too, back here we still know how to make awesome belts!" Prussia continued even more pompously to hide his uncertainess. "Our style is in any case a lot more awesome than your style. America and those others have ruined your sense of style!"

Still no answer. Prussia felt a cold wind and started to look at his brother with concerned, even desparate, look. Didn't he feel anything anymore? Didn't he miss him?

Hesitatingly Prussia glanced around himself. TV cameras had appeared from somewhere. All this was being recorded and sent across the world to people's homes. So, the whole world would see Prussia – East Germany, the awesome German Democratic Republic – wriggling his hands alone and abandoned in front of his brother?

"Eh..." Prussia said after a long silence, taking his visor cap off and fiddling with it. "I've... been quite lonely without you. And bored. Russia's been... not that nice a partner. If it'd be at all possible..."

Germany's face remained set in stone. Prussia felt how tears tried to make their way to his eyes. He didn't want to be East or Germany any more – he just wanted to be Prussia, Germany's brother.

"I miss you, West", Prussia said with struggle. He could feel his eyes becoming moist and his voice trembling. "I miss you. I don't want to be alone any more, I don't want to be East Germany, I just want to get back!"

Germany's face remained the same. Prussia was trembling with sorrow, with disappointment and with rage. Wasn't that enough? How dared he? He was being humiliated in front of all these people! The entire world would have a reason to laugh at him!

Prussia turned around so that he could leave, but something stopped him. Germany had put his hand on Prussia's shoulder.

"Brother."

_Rome, Italy_

Italy stared intently at the television and waved around his arms. Had he just seen, what he thought that he'd seen? Yes, yes, yes!

"Romano, come quickly! Germany and Prussia are talking to each other!"

South Italy appeared from the balcony after enjoying a nice evening wind after a nice supper and sat beside Italy.

"What's it, Veneziano? Do you have to get so excited about two potato heads? One is a blonde and the other all silvery, that's about it."

"You don't understand, Romano!" Italia screamed in joy. "They're talking to each other like brothers! Germany and Prussia will soon be together again!" Italy started to hug his brother, so overjoyed was he for his friend Germany's happiness. "Germany isn't going to alone any more and he'll get his brother back! Everything is fine and happy again!"

"Let go of me, you..!" South Italy huffed and puffed and tried to push his brother away. But he managed to take a quick glance at the television and saw, how the German brothers were talking about something. Something moved in South Italy's heart. He didn't hate those two. They were both OK, at least in small doses. And South Italy's own brother's genuine, innocent happiness about Germany not being alone any longer touched South Italy. Brothers should not be set apart.

"Maybe a potato head deserves another potato head", South Italy said gently. It felt nice to see his brother happy.

_Berlin, Germany_

"B-brother..?" Prussia said with his voice wavering, slowly turning around to look at Germany as if fearing that this all would be some dream, which could shatter at any moment.

"Brother", Germany repeated and Prussia saw tears in his brother's eyes. "I have missed you. Ever since Hitler's empire fell. Ever since we were set apart. Every year has been one year too long."

Prussia's lips trembled with the strength of his emotions. He felt himself powerless. He was afraid of what would come to pass, because he was afraid that it would destroy this precious moment. He didn't resist when Germany embraced him, almost crushing him with a bear hug. Visor cap fell from Prussia's hand.

"We're always going to be together, my brother", Germany said to Prussia and held him tightly. And Prussia hugged him back.

_Moscow, Soviet Union_

Lithuania looked from behind Russia's back at Kreml's state television channel and then glanced fearfully at the larger nation. Russia hadn't moved at all. He hadn't turned his eyes away from the television. Lithuania glanced behind his back and saw his brothers Latvia and Estonia making nervous glances towards Russia; he saw Poland, Ukraine and Romania staring also at Russia and the TV.

Germany and East Germany had embraced each other. The days of the Berlin Wall were over.

"_Da_", Russia said suddenly and Lithuania was taken back by the suddeness of it. He noticed Belarus appearing next to him. That silent, pale woman looked venomously at Lithuania and then took Russia's hand, as if trying to wake the largest nation of the Soviet Union from some dream. "_Da_, it's so beautiful when a family gathers together."

Russia turned around and Lithuania saw Russia's face. Russia was crying, but he was also smiling with a genuine happiness. "We can't have children as our own forever, can we? At some point they must grow up and leave their nest. And Prussia looks so happy..."

Prussia... Lithuania was shocked. Russia hadn't used that name since the Second World War. He had always called Prussia Germany or "East", since Prussia had called Germany West. Something had changed.

This was the end of the Soviet Union, Lithuania realized. And Russia looked so happy. Why wouldn't he? He no longer had to boss people around and maintain control. Now he is free, like the rest of us are free. The machinations of Kreml no longer matter to us, Lithuania thought to himself.

Lithuania joined his brothers and they took each other's hands. They were all smiling. Soon freedom would dawn for them. Poland smiled a wide smile when he realized that, just like Romania. Ukraine looked confused and embarassed, as usual, but even she knew that soon she would be an independent nation again.

"He looks so happy..." Russia whispered and felt how the iron chains which the Soviet leaders had roped around his heart broke apart, one by one.

_Berlin, Germany_

"Germany..." Prussia cried. "I've been so alone."

"I've been too", Germany answered and stroked his brother's hair keeping him ever tightly in his embrace. "But we no longer have to be alone. The old world is gone. Germany is united once again. We are brothers now and forever."

"Always together!" Prussia shouted. People cheered all around them whether they came from west or east. Somewhere far away in Bonn, the capital of West Germany, Germany's leaders were celebrating; in East Berlin the leaders of Prussia looked with horror at their televisions and it slowly realized that their era was over. There would be only one and unified Germany.

Germany and Prussia took a step back from each other and suddenly Germany raised Prussia on his shoulders. Cheers became louder still, people were crying from joy. Family members met each other once more; friends found each other; after years of separation, neighbours and relatives could meet each other freely.

"Always together!" Germany shouted as well and Prussia joined the shout as well.

_Vienna, Austria_

Austria was playing piano and didn't seem to notice anything else, not the live television in the corner of the room or that a door behind him was opened and Hungary stepped inside in her communist uniform. Hungary glanced around herself and took her visor cap off her head.

"Hello Austria", Hungary said, hesitating a little bit. Austria continued to play and didn't pause.

"Hello to you, too, Hungary", he answered with his soft voice. "Mind your steps, the floor is slippery, it has recently been washed."

Hungary walked next to Austria and looked how the aristocratic man's fingers moved on piano's keys without hesitation, without a pause.

"Soviet Union will soon be over", Hungary said quietly. "I no longer have to listen to Russia and lis leaders."

"That's good to hear." Music didn't stop. "I have waited for you for some time already, you know."

Hungary was surprised. "You have waited..?"

"Of course", Austria answered. He kept on playing. "All your things are where you left them. I have, of course, kept the place tidy. Someone had to keep things in order until you would return."

"You waited for me all this time?" Hungary asked and felt tears in her eyes.

"I would have waited until the end of time itself, if it would have been necessary", Austria answered and now Hungary noticed that the man was crying tears of joy. "You'll always have a home here – and you'll always have a place in my heart and at my side."

Hungary embraced Austria and cried. Now she recognized the tune Austria's now wavering fingers were playing. It had once been the imperial hymn of Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy. And now it was Germany's national anthem. The brothers were again united. Hungary and Austria were again united. All was well in the world.

_Paris, France_

France and England were sitting on a couch and looking at news boradcast from Berlin Wall. France was staring intently at the television and England was sipping tea and looking at the broadcast with raised eyebrows. Her Majesty must already be sleeping, England thought to himself. And so is the Prime Minister, I guess, but soon her aides will wake her up. This will change the entire nature of the Cold War. Germany will be united.

"I wonder how long it will take before we have a Fourth Reich at our hands?" England asked aloud. He knew how cynical and cold that sounded, but that fear had lived in his mind and in the minds of his citizens for some time: Germany alone was one of the strongest countries in Europe, and now when he would have East – his brother Prussia – at his side, he would be even more powerful.

"Will you keep quiet, you 'orrible cynic", France admonished England and wiped a tear from his eye. "Look at zem. Zey are so 'appy. Zey 'ave been separated from each other for decades and now zey are together again. Zey 'ave won ze Cold War."

England couldn't deny the truth in France's words. He, too, was moved by what he was seeing, even though he tried to hide that behind his teacup. Germany was once again united.

_Stockholm, Sweden_

Denmark was laying on the coach and eating popcorn while watching television. Like just about everyone else in the world at this moment, he was looking at the unification of Germanys.

"Yo pals, come to take a look!" he shouted over his shoulder to other Nordic countries. Norway and Iceland stopped reading and allowed their aloofness to be pierced; Finland stopped playing with his dog; and Sweden appeared out of the kitchen wearing an apron. Food could wait for a little while, he decided after seeing why Denmark had called them.

"Germanys are getting united", Denmark pronounced. "Not right now, obviously, but I mean that the case is clear. Soon there won't be east or west, there'll be only Germany."

Finland smiled and stroked Hanatamago's head. The little dog yelped happily.

"That's nice to hear", Finland said and remembered how he had fought alongside Germany and Prussia and had seen how much those two cared about one another. "It was cruel and unfair to keep them separated for so long. Now they are together again."

"Justice", Sweden murmured and returned to kitchen.

_Washington DC, United States_

America stared with disbelief at the huge screen before him. All around him people were running around, giving advice and shouting orders, collecting papers and making notes. This... this... this incident would change the entire balance of the Cold War. All the plans and plots of the CIA were in disarray, to say the least, now when Germanys were to be united once more.

But America couldn't care less about those little worries. He still remembered the day when he had to pull the trigger to fulfill his mission to execute Germany. He still remembered how horrible it had been for him and how sad and broken Prussia had been. Fortunately Germany had survived. And fortunately those brothers had found each other at long last. It didn't matter that all the wonderful spy games and plays would soon end. Freedom had won.

Freedom to be with the ones you love without others interfering in it.

Freedom to choose one's own destiny without caring about the great plans of others.

Freedom to stand side by side with one's brother.

"Freedom!" America shouted in joy and jumped to the air. He had always fought for that word. And now, at this moment, it was becoming reality halfway across the globe. Nothing else mattered, only that freedom had swept away old sins and it would bring about a new beginning.

"Freedom, wo-HOO!"

_Berlin, Germany_

Germany carried Prussia on his shoulders towards home – to the west. People were crying in happiness and running around all around them. The Berlin Wall was crumbling all around them, and not just in the physical sense of the word: people were tearing chunks and pieces out of that hated monument of opression, yes, but now that wall couldn't stop them from dreaming about a better world, from dreaming about a future where they would be together. And everywhere people were singing Germany's anthem.

"Unity, justice, freedom", Prussia said, as if tasting the words in his mouth. "You could have picked a worse song when you chose your anthem. I liked the first stanza better, but that'll do. Not as awesome, but still, nice."

Germany laughed. "Unity, justice and freedom for us both, brother. For us all."

And so those two brothers disappeared into the crowd. The separation of decades was over.

Germany was now united.

Millions who had lost their loved ones were now given justice.

Freedom came to those who had lived in a world torn apart.

In that moment, in that place, everything was perfect for those two brothers, who had shared so much together. At last, after decades of waiting, they were together again.

_Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit für das deutsche Vaterland!_


End file.
